Water-purifying and softening device



Jan. 23, 1945. R s MOORE 2,368,035

WATER-PURIFYING AND- SOFTENING DEVICE Filed Dec. 5, 1940 ISnventor Gttornegs Patented Jan. 23,1945

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WATER-PURIF-YING AND -SOF TENING DEVICE 2 .Claims.

This invention relates, in general, to liquid treating devices and, in particulargto a-new'and improved water-purifying and -softening device.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a. new and improved devic or fixture which is capable of purifying and softening water-more efficiently than devices of a similar nature at present well known and in use.

Another object is to provide a new and improved Water-purifier and -softener :which ismore easily and readily adaptable to the source of water to be treated thereby than heretofore.

Another object is to provide a new and -improved water-puri'fying and -softening.device the parts of which are inexpensive and easily and quickly replaceable after reasonably long periods of use.

Another object is to provide a new and improved water-purifier and -softener which is compact and occupies a minimum amount of space while in use or when not in use.

Another object is to provide a new and improved water-purifying and -softening device the construction of which is simple and inexpensive and the parts of which are easily assembled and disassembled.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent from ,a reference to the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical section taken through the device and showing same assembled onto a standard faucet, the latter being shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the inlet end of the device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of the device in use with a slightly different type of faucet than the one shown in Fig. 1;, and

Fig. 4 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of another slightly modified form of device.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the device or fixture comprises a hollow, open-ended body member, generall indicated at I0, composed of abowl portion I2 having a neck portion I4 integral therewith at its inlet end and a neck portion I6 integral therewith at its outlet end. Between the neck and bowl portion I4 and I2 there is formed an annular shoulder portion I8, and. between the neck and bowl portions I8 and I2 there is preferably formed an annularly recessed portion 20. The neck portion I4 which defines the inlet is provided, as shown, with a standard thread formation, whereas the neck portion It may or may not be so threaded.

In the event the device is to be used in conjunction with a water source, such as the faucet shown generally at 22 in Fig. 1, said faucet having an unthreaded-outlet, the threaded irilet [I4 of'the body III is adapted for removably receiving the threaded neck portion 24 of a cap member, generally indicated at 26. Cap member 26, in addition'to including the neck-forming member 24, which has an annular, radially outwardly extending flange 28, also includes a plate 30' centrally formed with an opening 32 and'perip'herally formed with a downwardly extending flange .34, said flanges 28 and 34 being interconnected in any well known manner so as to unify the members 24-28 and 30-34 and provided therebetween an annular chamber in which resides and is held the periphery of an annular rubber fitting 3B in co-axial alignment with said opening. The cap' unit 26, which comprises the members 24-28, 30-34 and 3 6, is removably received by "the unthreaded outlet of the faucet 22 by means 'of frictional engagement between said outlet and the fitting 36 of said unit, and removably receives the body H] by means of threaded engagement between the neck portion 24 of said unit and the neck portion I4 of said body. The plate '30 of the cap 26 may be formed with an annular depression 38 for the purpose of more securely holding the periphery of the fitting 36 in place in the chamber provided therefor by said plate and the flange 28.

On the other hand, in the event the device is to be used in conjunction with a water source, such as is shown generally at 40 in Fig. 3" and provided with a threaded outlet 42, the cap unit 26 of Fig. 1 is replaced by a standard washer 4'4 Which, when the neck portion I4 of the bod-yin and the outlet 42 of the source Ml have been threadedly interconnected, will form a seal therebetween.

Positioned 'inthe neck portion I 4 ofthe bOdy III on the shoulder portion I8 is adisc -48 which, because it is to serve as a filter, is perforated or otherwise pervious to water and which, because a cloth wrapper to provide a cloth layer above and below the filter body and also at the side thereof. Filter 48 has substantially the same 'cross sectional area as that of the neck I4 so that all the water leaving the source thereof, instead of only a portion thereof, will pass through the filter. Furthermore, as is seen, filter 48 is readily removable from the body In so that a new one may be substituted therefor, when desired. Preferably, there is provided a second disc 50 above the filter 48 within the neck portion [4 which is necessarily perforated or otherwise pervious to water, but which is not necessarily as rigid as the disc 46 because it lacks the feature of Supportability inherent in said latter disc. It will be noted that the unit which comprises the members 46, 48 and 50 takes up the entire axial space between the shoulder l8 and the end of the member (22 or 40) providing the water supply, upon assembly of the body If] onto said member (22 or 40), whereby said members of said unit will be held in place with respect to each other.

Whereas the discs 50 and 46 and the filter 48 tend to remove the foreign matter in and part of the mineral content of the water therefrom, the bowl portion l2 of the body I is operable for holding a quantity of activated charcoal 52 or other carbonaceous material which tends to adsorb a substantial portion of the gaseous impurities in said water. For holding the material 52 in place Within the bowl 12, a substantially spherical or similarly shaped filter 54 of openwork construction is provided within the neck portion l6 and preferably has an annular rib 56 which cooperates with the recess 20 to permit possible but prevent inadvertent removal of said filter from said neck portion. The filter 54 is shaped as is shown, or at least somewhat similarly thereto, because it provides a curved, double wall through which the water must pass after having passed through the material 52, the double nature of this wall tending to increase the ability thereof to filter said water and the curvature tending to increase the surface area for enhancing the flow of said water. Furthermore, it will be noted that the filter 54 resides above the level of the lower end of the neck portion I6 so as to reduce the chance of it becoming damaged or contaminated by any force or material external thereof.

As is now evident, the disc 50, the upper wall of the cloth-wrapped filter 48, the body of the filter 48 itself, the lower wall of said cloth wrapping of said filter, the disc 46, the material 52, the upper half of the filter 54 and the lower half thereof all combine to subject the water passing through the body In to eight steps of filtration, so that; said water must be and is pure and soft upon passing through the outlet I6.

Instead of the device being adapted, as it is in Figs. 1 or 3, for a standard tap 22 or 40, it may be made adaptable at each end, as shown in Fig. 4, for a standard hose connection 58, the ends H4 and H6 of said device being threaded for receiving the internally threaded sections of said hose connections 58, the nipple ends of said connections 58 being adaptable for receiving hose lengths. Between each connection 58 and each end H4 or H6 there is arranged for obvious reasons a standard gasket I44. Except for the threading of each end of the device It), said device is similar in construction and content to the device of Figs. 1 and 3.

Although the invention has been described with some detail it is to be understood that such description is for the purpose of illustration only and is not to be taken as a definition of the limits of the inventive idea. The right is reserved to make such changes in the details 01 construction and arrangement of parts as will fall within the purview of the attached claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a liquid purifying device comprising, a bulbous-shaped body having an enlarged inlet and a reduced outlet respectively at opposite ends thereof, a filtering material within said bulbousshaped body between the inlet and outlet for absorbing a substantial portion of the gases present in a liquid passing therethrough, a chemically treated filtering pad within said enlarged inlet and spaced above said bulbous-shaped body for removing a substantial portion of the mineral content of said liquid therefrom, said pad being of disc-like formation and enclosed in a cloth wrapper forming top, bottom and side walls, a pair of rigid reticulate disc members disposed in juxtaposition to the top and bottom walls of the filtering pad and a spherical screen within said outlet adjacent the bulbous-shaped body whereby a portion of the screen will project into the filtering material and a portion will project into said outlet.

2. In a liquid purifying device comprising, a bulbous-shaped body having an enlarged inlet and an outlet of reduced dimensions, said bulbous-shaped body being bent adjacent the inlet and outlet to form annular ribs, a mass of filtering material within said bulbous-shaped body between the annular ribs for absorbing a substantial portion of the gases present in a liquid passing therethrough, a chemically treated filtering pad seated on the annular rib in the inlet for removing a substantial portion of the mineral content of said liquid therefrom, said pad being of disc-like formation and enclosed in a cloth wrapper forming top, bottom and side walls, a pair of rigid reticulate disc members disposed in juxtaposition to the top and bottom Walls of the filtering pad, a spherical filtering screen having a circumferential projection seated in the rib in the outlet, a screw-threaded nipple secured to the inlet and a packing element carried by the nipple extending inwardly and downwardly to overlie the filtering pad and retain the same in said enlarged inlet and direct the water centrally of the pad.

RALPH S. MOORE. 

